Individual Category

Ving Fai Chan, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences

Nominated for the Teaching Award in recognition of his innovative, student-centred approach to education. His teaching integrates creativity, experiential learning, and global perspectives to engage students with complex issues such as health inequities and disability inclusion. By introducing unique methods, such as vision-impairment simulators, interdisciplinary workshops, and arts-based programmes. He encourages students to think critically, empathise deeply, and connect learning to real-world impact. This nomination reflects his commitment to fostering inclusive, transformative learning experiences that prepare students to become socially responsible professionals and global citizens.

 

Vikki O’Neill, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences

Dr. Vikki O’Neill has won a Queen's University Teaching Award, recognising her innovative leadership in creating and championing the highly successful “I Need It STAT” hub. Identifying a critical gap in statistical assistance, Dr. O'Neill proactively established the hub in 2020, demonstrating the vision to transform support for postgraduate researchers. Its rapid expansion across the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences is a testament to the quality and high demand for the support offered. Through personalised one-to-one consultations and tailored training courses, Dr. O’Neill ensures responsive, high-quality statistical education, fundamentally supporting students in building confidence and competence in data analysis. The hub is celebrated for its inclusive and patient approach, which significantly reduces statistics anxiety and fosters a more supportive and capable research culture—a lasting legacy of her commitment.

 

 

Eva Sweeney, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences

 

 

Dr Sweeney has received three QUB Teaching awards this year, including an individual award for her student-focused approaches to teaching gross anatomy. These included art-based learning approaches such as template-guided drawing and paper models, 3D printed model development, several game-based learning approaches, and development of novel practicals incorporating pig heart dissection, pathology specimens, ultrasound, and clinical airway devices.

Dr Sweeney was part of two QUB Team Teaching Awards. The CBMSE Student Success Team was commended for initiatives that enhanced student belonging and access to support. Dr Sweeney contributed to this work through innovative methods to develop student voice, development of inclusive maps and timetables, increased signage for all-gender bathrooms, implementing canvas weekly bulletins, and initiatives to foster inclusion among the student body such as a book swap shelf, and art and anatomy workshops.

The second QUB Team Teaching Award recognised the development of “Know Your Anatomy”, a digital serious game produced in collaboration with colleagues from Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, and Biomedical Science. Dr Sweeney contributed three quarters of the questions for the medicine/dentistry sections of the app and held pilot studies and a focus group with 1st and 2nd year medical students to assess efficacy. Colleagues also tested it with nursing and dentistry students, and our evaluation indicated the game improved student engagement and confidence in their anatomy knowledge.

Team Category

School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences
Centre for Biomedical Sciences Education

• Eva Sweeney
• Etain Tansey
• Joe Quinn
• Aisling Keane
• Marina de Almeida McLoughlin
• Sharon Parkinson
• Claudine Sutherland
• Laura Montgomery
• Laura Collins
• Joanne McGowan
• Clare Foy
• Alexandra McCulla
• Declan McLaughlin

 

 

Centre for Medical Education

• Dr Philip Toner
• Shauna Kinchella
• Sarah Hagan
• Sofie Ross
• Linda McGuinness
• Dr Sara Lowry

 

Centre for Educational Development
School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences
Centre for Biomedical Sciences Education

• Olivia Hamill
• Dr Declan McLaughlin

"Dr Declan McLaughlin and Ms Olivia Hamill are delighted to have been named winners of the Teaching Awards 2025 – Team Category. The award recognises their work in transforming the academic advising experience at Queen’s through the creation of the Advisors of Studies Community of Practice (CoP).

Launched in 2023, the CoP was developed in response to student and staff feedback calling for clearer, more supportive approaches to academic advising. Working together, Declan and Olivia brought colleagues into a new collaborative network that empowers advisors with training, resources, and shared practice.

Through initiatives such as the Step Into Series, interactive training events, and the Advisor Exchange Podcast, they have placed student voices at the heart of development. This has resulted in higher student satisfaction, stronger connections between advisors, and growing recognition of Queen’s as a leader in inclusive and student-centred advising.

Winning this award is a celebration of the many colleagues and students who have shaped the CoP, and reflects the shared commitment to building a culture of belonging, support, and success across the University."

 

Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine

• Lauren Kerrigan
• Hannah Turkington
• Clare Mills
• Karla O’Neill
• Pietro Bertelli
• Precious Owuamalam
• Matthew James
• Peter Barabas
• Guanbo Wang
• Clara Radulescu
• Hojjat Naderi-Meshkin
• Kevin Edgar
• Ricardo Calderon Gonzalez